The West is running out of workers. Ageing populations and low birth rates mean that without immigration, our economies will shrink. Japan offers a sobering warning: it resisted large-scale immigration, and now its population is in free fall while its GDP is shrinking.
For those who oppose immigration, Japan’s path is not a model to emulate — it is a cautionary tale. The real question is not whether we need immigrants, but how to attract them in a way that benefits both host nations and the countries migrants leave behind.
The answer is certainly not open borders. Europe and the United States have seen how uncontrolled migration can turn toxic — attracting opportunists more interested in welfare than work, straining public services, and fueling political backlash. Nor is poaching the educated elite from poorer countries a sustainable solution. Yes, it’s a win for the West and for the lucky few who make it out. But it drains poor nations of the very talent they invested in and need for their own development.
There is, however, a smarter way. The West should invest in the education of future migrants directly in the region with the world’s fastest-growing population: Africa. Training young Africans in skills tailored to Western economies — and in the languages they will need — would create a pipeline of qualified workers. Everyone gains.
Recipient countries fill critical labour shortages with workers ready to contribute. Migrants themselves gain better opportunities and incomes. And Africa does not lose out — because many educated young people will stay and strengthen their home economies, while others abroad will send back remittances that already form a vital lifeline for many developing nations.
Immigration policy is too often framed as a zero-sum game. It doesn’t have to be. With foresight and investment, migration can be engineered as a win-win for the West, for migrants, and for the countries they leave behind. What’s missing is politicians capable of thinking outside the box.
For those who oppose immigration, Japan’s path is not a model to emulate — it is a cautionary tale. The real question is not whether we need immigrants, but how to attract them in a way that benefits both host nations and the countries migrants leave behind.
The answer is certainly not open borders. Europe and the United States have seen how uncontrolled migration can turn toxic — attracting opportunists more interested in welfare than work, straining public services, and fueling political backlash. Nor is poaching the educated elite from poorer countries a sustainable solution. Yes, it’s a win for the West and for the lucky few who make it out. But it drains poor nations of the very talent they invested in and need for their own development.
There is, however, a smarter way. The West should invest in the education of future migrants directly in the region with the world’s fastest-growing population: Africa. Training young Africans in skills tailored to Western economies — and in the languages they will need — would create a pipeline of qualified workers. Everyone gains.
Recipient countries fill critical labour shortages with workers ready to contribute. Migrants themselves gain better opportunities and incomes. And Africa does not lose out — because many educated young people will stay and strengthen their home economies, while others abroad will send back remittances that already form a vital lifeline for many developing nations.
Immigration policy is too often framed as a zero-sum game. It doesn’t have to be. With foresight and investment, migration can be engineered as a win-win for the West, for migrants, and for the countries they leave behind. What’s missing is politicians capable of thinking outside the box.
Thomas
As a large proportion of UN retirees end up as migrants (see UNJSPF annual reports ) many former staff may have an opinion. It is one of the most hotly discussed in the West. Unfortunately, this discussion is often lead irrationally and, as Thomas implies, is fueling racist and far-right sentiments.
ReplyDeleteMigration is not a phenomenon that each country can deal with or solve for itself. It should be one of the top-most issues discussed among economists and in the UN, and not be delegated to IOM as yet another IOM run programme.
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DeleteThere might be a link between racism in Europe and the failure of the open border policy for migrants. The Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman once said: "You can have open borders or you can have a strong welfare system, but yoy can not have both". Europe has had both, which is a more likely reason for the failure of the migration policies. The open border policy in Germany has resulted in half the prison population being foreign-born, while less than one-fifth of the overall population in Germany is. That could be due to racism, but it could also be due to open borders attracting undesirable migrants.
DeleteTo load the UN system with yet another mandate, dealing with migration, when it is under criticism for not managing the mandates it already has, may not be the best way to address the pressing problem. Individual countries or groups of countries, like the EU, would probably be in a better position to solve it.
DeleteThe "racist sentiments" that Detelef is referring to are interesting. As I am married to a woman of a different race from my own, I have some experience with this from Sweden. When we used to go on home leave 40 years ago, my wife and our two children were treated like celebrities. They were invited to schools to talk about where they came from, how it was to live and go to school there, hardly an indication of racism. Today, our two sons, who live in Sweden, often feel antipathy from total strangers. What changed? Forty years ago, there were virtually no people in Sweden who looked like my wife and two sons. Today, they are overrepresented in prison populations and among those living on welfare - a result of open borders and mismanaged migration.
DeleteIf the world has to wait for the UN to solve the migration problems, it will be long waiting.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that the best people in Africa are already being poached to care the elderly in Europe to the detriment of Africa - the dreaded brain drain. SO we are being asked to train more of them and then MORE of the brightest in Africa leave to look after old folks and the brain drain continues and health systems lack qualified staff and services drop. Not sure how to juggle this. For instance - a kenyan friend of mine said that as the top nursing school holds graduation ceremonies - Britains DHS has recruiters there on graduation day to poach the best nurses before they even start.
ReplyDeleteMost countries in Africa have strong population growth, and you "juggle" this by having Europe pay for the training of whatever staff they need, not necessarily only healthcare workers. As it is unlikely that everyone trained will migrate, the ones who don't benefit the country they come from directly with their newly acquired knowledge and skills. The ones who do migrate benefit their countries of origin through remittances. It is not about stealing the best students from existing schools and universities. It is about many additional young Africans being trained in new schools, built and funded by Europe. Those who wish to migrate would be given the opportunity to do so. Surely, this must be a good idea.
DeleteThis suggestion might have been reasonable 30 years ago, before the large-scale migration. The unemployment among existing migrants in Europe is high - train those instead. If there is racism in Europe, you would not want to have young Africans exposed to that?
ReplyDeleteThose are very valid points that make my suggestion seem ignorant. However, many unemployed migrants in Europe are rather comfortable on welfare. Why would you take the trouble of learning the language properly, train as a nurse, take up a position that involves uncomfortable hours and hard work, with only marginal improvements to your standard of living?
DeleteIt may also be a rather strong disincentive for well-trained Africans to take up positions in Europe, paying high taxes that go, at least partially, to look after those who do not work, particularly if they would endure racism to boot. Europe is in a pickle.